-Pablo Picasso (125)
There is no way
Pablo Picasso would have ever lived to see his
125th birthday - what with all that absinthe he drank - but his
work lives on in museums around the globe. Throughout the year,
exhibitions in Málaga (his birthplace),
Madrid, and
Barcelona will
honor his legacy.
-Nikola Tesla (150)
No, he wasn't involved with the '80s rock band. Serbian-American
scientist
Nikola Tesla discovered the rotating magnetic field, the
basis for most alternating-current electrical power - as well as
lots of other stuff we don't understand. The Tesla Society is
swinging for the fences for the 150th anniversary of his birth,
even proposing that the International Belgrade Airport be renamed
in his honor.
-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (250)
The most famous Austrian of all time was born 250 years ago in
Salzberg. His birth city and
Vienna have planned concerts,
exhibitions, tours, auctions, and plenty more. Simply put, you
won't be visiting
Austria this year without getting an earful of
Mozart. And that's a good thing.
-Benjamin Franklin (300)
Benjamin Franklin's tercentenary is being celebrated with a
traveling exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better
World, which hits
Philadelphia, St. Louis,
Houston, Denver,
Atlanta, and
Paris throughout the year. The folks in Philly even
came up with the catchy little slogan, "Philly's Got Benergy,"
which sounds a bit like a Hollywood "It" couple to us.
-Australia (400)
Europeans first landed in
Australia in 1606, the beginning of the
continent's documented history. And though most of the celebratory
events are still in the planning stages, why not throw some shrimp
on the barbie, kick back with a Foster's oilcan, and sing "Happy
Birthday" in your best Aussie drawl? Or you could just rent
Crocodile Dundee and call it a night.